Sabains Consulting

We provide consulting for projects and programmes of work for a variety of business areas, including Front Office, Middle Office and Back Office. The services range from SME's, Talent Management and independent scoping and technical roundtable sessions with a vendor agnostic approach.

Some of the business areas we cover include Capital Markets, Wealth and Investment Management, Security, Governance Risk and Compliance.
By leveraging all, Sabains anticipates, identifies and addresses clients' specific needs while looking for smart applications of our management and technology consulting solutions in the future.

We collaborate with our Partners to equip clients to better meet the challenges of today, while preparing them to exploit tomorrow's opportunities.

Through our hands-on consulting resources, we go beyond strategy. We provide the necessary technology architecture and implementation that well positions our clients in several ways.

Independent Consulting

Dedicated to deliver results early on and work closely with clients to establish and uncover challenges and look for solutions.

Given our in depth experience and fast-track approach to delivering solutions, clients gain insight into their processes and areas for improvements quickly.

We have a no nonsense approach and understand time is crucial in fast paced, competitive environments.

Business Intelligence

Large amount of data, but little clarity. Our business intelligence experts work with you to review the business needs and the desired outcome. Slicing and dicing data to visually represent it in a meaningful way.

Mapping of meta data across systems using specialized tools to link to data reporting and live systems within the organization.

Talent Management

Are you looking for expertise in a specific area? Do you want to fastrack the interview process and deal with a team of individuals who have actually worked within your environment in the past? We can eliminate the need for you to carry out first round interviews as we can tailor an approach that will help you to see only the appropriate candidates. This is achieved due to our in depth knowledge and understanding of your business.

We can deploy consultants as well as help you build your team internally or and even have a mixed model approach.

Roadmaps & Strategy

Do you want to know where your business is heading? What are the strategic and tactical goals of your organisations?

At Sabains we have helped clients define their strategic roadmaps in line with the organizational goals. We walk through the process with you providing exec level input.

Data Management (Client, Reference, Static)

The demands on static data continue to increase. The ability to price your portfolio asof a specific historical date is complex. Industry standards are crucial for automation. How can we help you ensure you are managing your data well?

In order to integrate systems, it is often the data element that needs to be accurately set up in advance. We have Mapping Managers and data management tools that optimize processes.

Acceleration / Real Time Risk / High Performance Computing

Radically speed up complex and high volume portfolio pricing using technologies, hardware, FPGA, GPU and optimization of internal code. Engage with experienced Quants and Mathematicians leading the industry forward.

Governance, Programme / Project Management

Requirements
Analysis

Understanding business requirements

Design

Create a design that fits the environment

Implementation

Implement using
technologies to integrate
with your business

Go-Live

Deploy to production

We have experienced Programme and Project Managers to deliver large scale strategic aswell as tactical projects. Stakeholder management, scoping and bridging the gap between business and technology. We can integrate into your existing processes or help to implement the SDLC process for your organization.

Our team walk through the complete Project Management lifecycle and also provide tools for analysis to support the process.

PID, Scoping, Stakeholder management, Project Budgeting and resourcing are some of the areas covered. Use of tools such as Microsoft Office and excel/ powerpoint presentations or inhouse specific client preference tools are considered.

SpecIT™ is a unique application suite that enables organisations to better control the whole of their IT investment, from both a cost and a management perspective. This tool is the result of many years combined research and experience which has been distilled into a unique blend of functionality, processes and knowledge content. SpecIT™ will rapidly become an invaluable asset to any cost-conscious organisation, whether you're looking for a new IT system or are involved in a M & A project and want to understand the capabilities of the your system and how it can be improved or your client's IT infrastructure and its ability to integrate before investing, SpecIT™ will be an invaluable aid.

There are 4 core components:

SpecIT™ Portfolio – A technology inventory allowing you to catalogue your existing investments, ascertain the strategic value they are adding to your business, determine their detailed costs and identify opportunities for rationalisation.

SpecIT™ IVSM - A technology specification and selection tool allowing you to record the detailed functionality of current applications (as identified using Portfolios), specify actual requirements against a template of some 30,000 functionality points, undertake a gap analysis of current applications/functionalities versus requirements, compare actual requirements against the capabilities of over 2,000 "packaged" applications/functionalities and shortlist those most appropriate to your requirements.

SpecIT™ Programme - A set of frameworks, processes and tools to enable: the alignment of initiatives with business strategy, benefit expectations and ownership of outcomes; balancing of all initiatives and activities to achieve the optimal mix that will deliver the organisation's desired outcomes within its known constraints and; road mapping of all activities to provide clear direction and prioritisation of activities.

Vendors: Summit, Sophis, Murex, Calypso

If you are looking to select the appropriate vendor for your business, we can help with analyzing what product is most suitable to your business needs.

Our team consist of experience with a variety of vendors, for example Summit, Sophis, Murex, Calypso. We recognize the importance of having the right technology experts available to drive your business forward. Our team have extensive experience of working with vendor systems, both technical and management.

Regulatory

Keeping up with the regulatory requirements around ESMA, CFTC, LCH, FSA, Bank Of England. Reporting within specific timeframes is high on regulators agendas. We can help clients deliver reporting solutions and work with you to create tactical and strategic solutions.

Business Analysis

We have experienced analysts within Banking and Government sectors.

Analysis of existing business processes, specific new business requirements and gap analysis is done in depth, working closely with clients. Our analysts act as key interface to clients, Testing Team and Development Teams to ensure synchronicity. They also manage Workshops to extract Use Cases and gain clarity on requirements across business streams front to back. Typical outputs are Business Requirements Document, Functional Specification, Technical Specification, Use Cases which are used further to determine Test Cases. Our Analysts hands on with Unit Testing, Integration testing and overall UAT working closely with users.

ORACLE OFSAA

Do you have requirements around OFSAA and are not sure where to find the correct persons outside Oracle itself who are also experienced in your sector?

We are able to help OFSAA capability onshore and option of offshore.
Business definition/scoping out requirements/providing a clear direction/Gap Analysis.
Cross training your team through OFSAA experts
Building internal solutions using OFSAA components – ultimately saving you significant amounts on licensing and services costs.
Reducing risk and providing better ROI – through OFSAA experts

Sabains also provide onsite advise & guidance/Technical Round table sessions - on subjects such as how to best use Flexcube/OFSAA in the derivatives and securities space

Flexcube/OFSAA related support - by specialist that have actually developed the tool itself, Our knowledge around the functional aspects of Flexcube/OFSAAFull product life cycle experience - from conceptualization to Functional Specifications to Design, Build, testing and further implementation at client sitesProject managing OFSAA rollouts - upgrades, migrations, customisations to specific needs. SAS Reporting - Off-shore resource for SAS coding and reportingMI within the bank - Design of Transfer Pricing and Cost allocation engines for calculation of Customer or Product Profitability.SME led approach - work with specialist that actually understand data. Overall taking ownership of deliverables through a team who have a direct, "role up the sleeves" hands on - "get the job done" approach.

Compliance / AML / KYC

Money laundering has become a serious global issue. Analysts estimate that worldwide money laundering ranges from $590bn to $1.5tr, which amounts to 2%–5% of global gross domestic product. Find out how companies are fighting back with proven Sabains solutions.

Efficiently detect, investigate and report suspected money laundering activity in order to comply with current and future regulations

Provide regulators and key stakeholders with a comprehensive view of financial activity and customer risk in order to transparently detect and investigate potential money laundering behavior

Full compliance with national and international regulations, guidelines and best practices

Business Process Re-engineering

Business Process Reengineering involves the radical redesign of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity, cycle times and quality. In Business Process Reengineering, companies start with a blank sheet of paper and rethink existing processes to deliver more value to the customer. They typically adopt a new value system that places increased emphasis on customer needs. Companies reduce organisational layers and eliminate unproductive activities in two key areas. First, they redesign functional organizations into cross-functional teams. Second, they use technology to improve data dissemination and decision making.

Sabains Team walk through the process and provide you with the steps to follow.

FINREP & COREP

Financial Reporting is a European regulation that applies to banking organisations, which significantly increases the level of reporting financial information to the regulator.

Regulators have imposed much more scrutiny on firms regulatory reporting, asking tough questions and expecting a really high quality responses.

These new rules themselves, come from CRD4 and CRD4 mandate the EBA to introduce a harmonised regulatory reporting regime across Europe. The EBA's response is COREP and FINREP. COREP is the introduction of a new capital reporting regime, together with the supporting risk elements and FINREP introduces a new financial reporting regime. So a requirement for firms to report to the regulator on their P&L and on their balance sheet, with lots of supporting analyses as well.

Our team can help your organization to build the reports which are demanded by regulators.

Risk (Market, Operational, Credit)

Risk Management takes two things into consideration:

the likelihood of something bad happening
the likely cost of something bad happening.

We have successfully worked on these areas and helped financial institutions to mitigate these risks.

Our clients challenge us with variety of risk related problems and that are technically demanding and we have responded by delving into greater analytical depth.

Integration & Migrations Re-engineering

Has your organisation undergone a merger or acquisition ? Are you looking to integrate systems and / or migrate all your trades to strategic system? Sabains have led post merger integration programs and complex trade data migrations off legacy and onto strategic systems for both structured complex and vanilla products.

Sabains team have led workshops, developed a migration and implementation strategy, and planned and managed the integration of customers from two acquired banks onto a single banking platform.
Sabains have been involved in designing and implementing a common, aligned, integrated IT infrastructure across merger of banks.

The team also encourage integration of cultures which is often the biggest challenge across firms. Our diplomatic independent approach is used to win trust of all parties and work to advise on best practices.

ERP / CRM

Are you considering to purchase an off the shelf ERP or CRM system? Before you invest in such systems, have you really thought about what you need?

Our team are experienced users of CRM and ERP systems and can work with you to guide you to the most appropriate approach to suit your requirements.

Market Initiatives

Sabains have worked across industry market initiative's including MarkitWire, MarkitServ, DTCC, TriOptima, ICE, ICELink, CME, EUREX, LCH, ISDA, iCAP to integrate and extend them into clients infrastructure. Role has included representing departments at industry Working Groups.

Do you need individuals who can both implement and understand the external demands ? Has your organization got deadlines they must comply with but have little experience in these initiatives? Sabains developers, analysts, project managers and leaders can help drive this forward.

Systems Simplification Re-engineering

Are you faced with a real spaghetti environment where systems and flows make no
sense? Do you have duplication of processes and procedures and little clarity around them?Is your organization full of systems and complicated flows? Do you feel overwhelmed with how you will unravel this mess?

Sabains team architects will review and advise on strategy and roadmaps for system simplification.

High degree of complexity exists in companies and through our experience we can help your business to map its way forward with a definitive plan.

Accounting / Finance / Operations

Financial accounting is fundamental for banks. Month end, Quarter End and Year Ends. Understanding the methodologies used and importance of managing Ledgers to ensure accuracy.

Operations, settlements processing and reconciliations are all areas where there is usually some form of automation required.

Our team can help you on areas as above. We are particularly experienced around STP front to back processing of trades to minimize touch points.

Front / Middle / Back Office

Does your organization consist of many touch points during deal processing? Is there Operational Risk to your departments? Do you want to improve performance and delivery of trades from front office through to middle and back office?

Sabains Team have worked on projects to streamline trade capture process and procedures, regionally and globally. Having first hand experience of working on large scale projects we pride ourselves in being able to automate steps and increase efficiency. Our consultants can work with you hands on to manage and eliminate such processes as well as oversee such projects.

We have experience of the full trade lifecycle and work with the various teams at an intimate level to ensure their requirements are fully met.

Whether you are looking for some help on analyzing specific process or making radical changes to optimize your processes, Sabains team can assist.